Roman Government

History, Facts and
Information about Roman GovernmentThe Roman
Government. The Government of Ancient Rome,
the Roman Empire and the provinces - an
enormous task. Who were the men who wielded
this power? What were the positions in Roman
Government? Who were the officials of Roman
Government and what were their duties?

This page details the roles and responsibilities of
the Magistrate, the Quaestor, the Aedile, the Praetor, the
Consul, the Dictator and the Censor in the Government of
Ancient Rome.

History of Roman GovernmentAfter a long
struggle, the Plebeians acquired complete political equality
with the Patricians in the Roman Government.

History, Facts and information about Roman Government *** Ancient Roman Government Systems *** Roman Government - Ancient Rome *** Roman Government - The society and life of the Romans *** Roman Government *** Roman Government - positions and officials *** Ancient history, facts and interesting information about the Roman Government *** Magistrate, Quaestor, Aedile, Praetor, Consul, Dictator and the Censor - positions in the Roman Government

Roman Government

In the Second Punic War, the antagonism between
the two orders had almost disappeared, and the only mark of
separation between them in political matters was the
regulation that, of the two Consuls and two Censors, one
must be a Patrician and the other a Plebeian. Even this fell
into disuse upon the rise of the new Nobility when the
Patricians gradually dwindled away, and it became the custom
to elect both Consuls and Censors from the Plebeians to the
Roman Government. The content of this article provides
interesting history, facts and information about life in
Ancient Rome including Roman Government.

Roman Government - The
MagistratesEvery Roman citizen who
aspired to political power and the consulship had to pass
through a regular gradation of public offices in the Roman
Government, and the
earliest age at which he could become a candidate for them
was fixed by a law passed in B.C. 179, and known by the name
of the Lex Annalis. The earliest age for the Quaestorship,
which was the first of these magistracies, was 27 years; for
the Aedileship, 37; for the Praetorship, 40; and for the
Consulship, 43. All magistrates at Rome were divided into
Curules and those who were not Curules. The Curule
Magistrates were the Dictators, Censors, Consuls, Praetors,
and Curule Aediles, and were so called because they had the
right of sitting upon the Sella Curulis, originally an
emblem of kingly power, imported, along with other insignia
of royalty, from Etruria.

Roman Government - The
QuaestorThe Quaestors were the
paymasters of the state in the Roman Government. It was their duty to receive the
revenues, and to make all the necessary payments for the
military and civil services. There were originally only two Quaestors, but their number was constantly increased with
the conquests of the Republic. Besides two Quaestors who
always remained at Rome, every Consul or Praetor who
conducted a war or governed a province was attended by one
of these magistrates.

Roman Government - The
AedileThe Aedileship was
originally a Plebeian office in the Roman Government but two Curule Aediles were
added to the the two Plebeian Aedilesin B.C. 365. The four
Aediles in common had the charge of the public buildings,
the care of the cleansing and draining of the city, and the
superintendence of the police, supervising the sale of
slaves. They had also the regulation
of the public festivals; and the celebration of the Ludi
Magni, or Great Games, was their especial function.
Originally they received a sum of money from the state to
defray the expenses of these games, but the grant was
withdrawn about the time of the First Punic War; a measure
attended with important consequences, since the higher
magistracies were therefore confined to the wealthy, who
alone could bear the expenses of the charges of these costly
entertainments. After the Macedonian and Syrian wars, the
Curule Aediles often incurred a huge expense, with the view
of pleasing the people, and securing their votes in future
elections.

Roman Government - PraetorThe institution of the Praetorship
in the Roman Government
was established in B.C. 366. There was originally only one Praetor,
subsequently called Praetor Urbanus, whose chief duty was
the administration of justice. In B.C. 246 a second Praetor
was added, who had to decide cases in which foreigners were
concerned, and who was hence called Praetor Peregrinus. When
the territories of the state extended beyond Italy, new
Praetors were created to govern the provinces. Two
Praetors were appointed to take the administration of Sicily
and Sardinia (B.C. 227), and two more were added when the
two Spanish provinces were formed (B.C. 197). There were
thus six Praetors, two of whom stayedd in the city of Rome and the
other four went abroad. Each Praetor was attended by six Lictors.

Roman Government - The
ConsulThe Consuls were the
highest ordinary magistrates at Rome in the Roman Government, and were at the head
both of the state and the army. Their duties included
over-seeing the Senate and the Assembly of the Centuries;
they presided in each, and had to see that the resolutions
of the Senate and the People were carried into effect. They
had the supreme command of the armies in virtue of the Imperium
(power) conferred upon them by a special vote of the
People. At the head of the army, they had full power of life
and death over their soldiers. They were preceded by twelve
lictors, personal bodyguards, as an outward sign of power.

Roman Government -
DictatorThe Dictatorship, which
occurs so often in the early history of the Republic,
disappears altogether after the Second Punic War. As the
Republic became powerful, and had no longer to fear any
enemies in Italy, there was no necessity for such an
extraordinary magistracy as the Dictatorship, but whenever
internal dangers seemed to require a stronger executive, the
Senate invested the Consuls with dictatorial power which
enabled a consul to become a dictator.

Roman Government - The
CensorThe office of the Censor
in the Roman Government was regarded as the highest dignity in the state. They had
great power and could even expel Senators from the Senate.
There were two Censors who were taken, as a general rule,
from those who had previously been Consuls. Their duties,
which were very extensive and very important including
taking the census and assessing taxes, control over the
conduct and morals of the citizens of Ancient Rome and the
administration of the finances of the state, under the
direction of the Senate. For more information about this
important and powerful role in Roman Government click the
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History, Facts and information about Roman Government *** Ancient Roman Government Systems *** Roman Government - Ancient Rome *** Roman Government - The society and life of the Romans *** Roman Government *** The Romans and life in Ancient Rome *** Roman Government - positions and officials *** Ancient history, facts and interesting information about the Roman Government *** Magistrate, Quaestor, Aedile, Praetor, Consul, Dictator and the Censor - positions in the Roman Government